cities, where disposable khrushchevkas are being demolished to make way for new, higher-density construction. The City of Moscow had planned to complete this process by 2015. More than 1,300 out of around 1,700 buildings had been already demolished by 2012. In 2017, Moscow city authorities announced that some 8,000 khrushchevkas would be torn down, a move that would cause 1.6 million people to lose their homes. The announcement came after the completion of a smaller demolition project in which 1,700 buildings were torn down. In some parts of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, efforts to renovate and beautify khrushchevkas have been made, such as in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Belarus. In many cities, khrushchevkas have been transformed from drab, gray buildings to colorful housing blocks through series of renovations. In addition, efforts to improve the quality of the buildings have been made. In Tartu, Estonia, the European Union-funded SmartEnCity turned three khrushchevka blocks into energy efficient "smart homes." The renovations are usually heavily subsidized by the state, and in many cases, by the European Union if the country is a member state of the EU. In Russia, Belarus, and Central Asia these same styles of renovations have not taken place, resulting in further dilapidation of the buildings or, in some cases, the demolition of many Krushchyovkas. In these parts of the former Soviet Union, private renovation has been the norm, explaining the difference in the conditions of the buildings. In English-speaking countries, khrushchevkas are often referred to by the slang term commieblock. Sometimes, this is sarcastically be applied to any apartment complex which is perceived as overly austere in appearance or run down regardless of whether it is located in a previously communist country or not. Popular references 1976 film: The Irony of Fate uses the "cookie-cutter" trope and the story involves identical houses on namesake streets in different big cities. However, the housing depicted in the film is associated with Brezhnev's era: tall 12-story and higher building are known as "Brezhnevka"; which are somewhat more advanced and comfortable series of era of "Zastoi". Gallery See also Urban planning in communist countries Panelák and Sídlisko (Czech Republic and Slovakia) Tongzi lou and Danyuan fang (China) Plattenbau (Germany) Panelház (Hungary) Million Programme (Sweden) Affordable housing Public housing Subsidized housing Housing estate Brutalism References Sources External links Architecture in Russia Architecture in the Soviet Union Soviet phraseology Nikita